Ship&#39;s hatch construction



April 13, 1954 M. BICH ETAL sHIPs HATCH CONSTRUCTION 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 2, 1949 6 3 U f 0 g 47 74 lI/II II III Ill/11A III I INVENTORS MA Ran am, 100/5 0904 VA xv/ve,

BY 9 5ml dM/ ATTORNEYS April 13, 1954 M, BlcH ETAL 2,674,967

SHIPS HATCH CONSTRUCTION Filed July 2, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS /VA RC5! B/cw,

100/6 C644 VA NAM; a 72%? new ATTORNEYS nnnuunnud,

Patented Apr. 13, 1954 Marcel Bicli andLouis Chavane, Baris,

France,

assignors to Etablissements MacGregor-Comarain, Neuilly-sur-Seine,. France, a French body corporate Application July 2, 1949, SerialNo; 102,884 Claims priority, application France August 4, 1948 1' Claim. (01. I 114-202) This invention relates to an improved arrangement of the hatches or hatch-covers aboard ship, and to an improved manner of operating said hatch-covers in opening and closing the hatchway.

The usual procedure in opening and closing hatchways on shipboard involves the use of pivotally interconnected hatches or hatch-covers equal in length to the width of the hatchway and the width of said covers being equal to a sub-multiple (usually a third or a quarter) oi the length dimension of said hatchway. Such hatch-covers are pivotally interconnected and adapted to be folded. in vertical condition forward and aft of the hatchway. In their folded condition they may thus reach a height of 8 or 10 it. so that they obstruct the view of the shiphand operating the winch. W here the winch-operator is stationed directly on deck without being elevated above it,.-his field of vision is strictly nil. Moreover, in their folded condition the hatch-covers remain in a state of imperfect balance since they are always placed edgewise. Their number and position is determined by the length dimension of the hold or hatchway, which is generally from about to 40 it.

All the above difficulties of conventional hatchcovering arrangements are solved in a simple and desirable manner by the present invention. The method of the invention essentially consists of closing the hatchway by means of hatch-covers made up. of one or more sections or elements disposedin the direction of the longitudinal axis of the hatchway, said hatch covers or elements being pivotally interconnected, for instance in pairs.

According to another feature of the invention, the. hatchways are opened by folding up the interpivoted hatch-covers or elements and laying them flat or substantially flat along the longitudinal edges of the hat'chways.

Thus itwill be seen thata first feature of the invention amounts to substituting a longitudinal subdivisioning of the hatch-cover sections for the conventional transverse subdivisioning thereof. As a result, the width dimension of the opening of the hold or hatchway, generally about 15 to ft. in width, becomes substituted for the length dimension of said opening which may reach as much as 40 ft. and more. Accordingly in the arrangement of. the invention, the width of the individual cover sections or elements will attain about 6 ft. 6" at the utmost.

In .thesecondplacaas stated, the hatch-covers are stowed lengthwise and fiat along the longithe transverse sides of the hatchway at overcrowded and unconvenient locations. Moreover the method of the invention makes it possibleto fold the hatch-cover elements in flat horizontal position without the projections at the port and starboard sides of the hold substantiab m -ly interfering with the shipping of deck-cargo;

There is practically no consumption of valuablespace by the hatch-covers and at the same-time the latter are provided with a stable position of balance. Where on the other handhatch-coversof a different type are'used'adapted to be stowed vertically along the longitudinal sides of the hold,

the balance is very unstable and'thus constitutes a hazard for the crew.

Another noteworthy-point is that the employment of laterally-stowed hatch-covers makes possible the use of quick-operating metallic hatch-covers, even where the winches are not placed on winch-platformsor when the winches are placed on 'deckabsolutely flush with the fore or aft sides of thehatchways, that is in instances where it was in the past impracticable to apply any metal hatch-cover systems; any other hatchcover systems adapted to clear the hatchway opening on the sidesthereof necessarily take up onthe starboard or port decks an area corresponding to one half the width of the hatchway,

thuspreventing the shipping oideck cargo.

According to another feature of the invention, the metallic hatchcovers are so folded up that v in their openpositionthe inner faces arein contact together and the outer faces only remain exposed to adverse weather conditions. In partim ular, when it rains the rain-water will not col lect in the depressions iormedby the iron sheetingand the reinforcements, whence it would spill into'the hold-as thehatohes are closed.

The invention also includes means whereby the above described method may be put intopractice.

The above and further objects, features and advantages of the invention will appear from the ensuing drawings, given bywayof indication and not of limitation, and wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a hatch structure constructed in accordance with this invention, with one-half of thehatch structure shown in an open position and they other half shown in a closed position;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the hatch structure with both halves thereof shown in:

closed position;

Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 33 of Figure 1 and showing two of the hatch cover elements or sections in an open position;

Figure 4 is a similar cross-sectional view of such hatch cover elements in a closed position;

Figure 5 is a detailed cross-sectional View taken on line 55 of Figure 2;

Figure 6 is an enlarged fragmentary elevational view of the roller mounting for the inner section of the hatch cover, and,

Figure 7 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on line 7-7 of Figure 1 and showing the inner sections of both halves in closed position.

In the exemplary embodiment shown the hatchway l is closed by means of four hatchcover elements or sections 2, 3, 4 and 5. If the total width of the hatchway is L, each section will have a width Asshown in the drawings, the hatchway is of comparatively great length, and therefore comprises an intermediate support or cross-beam 6. Accordingly a second set of hatch-cover elements are provided, as shown at 2, 3, 4' and 5' in respective alignment with the elements 2, 3, 4 and 5. The end hatch-cover elements 2 and 5 are pivoted as through the hinges '1 to the longitudinal side 8 of the hatchway i. The intermediate elements 3 and i are pivoted to said end-elements 2 and 5 respectively as shown at 9. The intermediate elements are provided with rollers Ill adapted to ride on the transverse side of the hatchway provided for that purpose with runways I2. The intermediate supporting cross-beam 6 is provided with a similar runway [2.

To operate the hatches the elements 2 and 5 are pulled by means of the hook attachments l3 in the direction indicated by arrow F. These elements are rotated about their hinges I while the elements 3 and 4 connected with the elements 2 and 5 by the hinges 9 are moved over the runways 12 through the medium of the rollers Ill. As the elements 2 and 5 reach a substantially vertical position the rollers l engage the runway !2 whereby, said runways being provided with a suitable contour, the elements 2 and may be brought to port and starboard respectively of the hatchway while at the same time the elements 3 and 4 are also caused to assume a horizontal position resting fiat upon the elements 2 and 5. The elements 2 and 5 may then be supported for example by means or collapsible stays or brackets M.

The structure will then have assumed the shape of a platform on which cargo may be placed prior to lowering it into the hold and on which also the ship-loading hands may stand. This platform is not appreciably space-consuming in a horizontal direction since its width is only a quarter of that of the hatchway which in itself is never very wide.

To close the hatches the procedure is similar, the hatch-cover elements being pulled inwardly of the hatchway by means of a loading-pole or derrick engaging the hooks it. The elements reach the end of their displacement as they attain a horizontal position.

Water-tightness is obtained by means of rubber seals I5, l6 disposed both over the hatchcoamings 9 and at the joints between the respective elements. The seal used in this connection may advantageously comprise a seal of the wellknown type known commercially as the Mac- Gregor-Comarain seal.

lhe pins of the hinges l and 9 are so disposed that the seal will reach its compressed condition by a movement in a direction perpendicular to the surface. Said seals have been shown in detail in Figs. 2 to 7. Thus for instance Fig. 3 illustrates a seal l5 engaging the upstanding edge E8 of the hatch-coaming 8. The seal I6 between the hatch-elements 2 and 3 is slightly inclined, is secured to the element 5; and cooperates with a sheeting element I9 forming part of the adjacent element 4. Fig. 4 shows a similar seal l5 placed between two intermediate hatch elements interconnected for instance by a latching means 20.

As stated previously, the arrangement shown in Fig. 1 relates to the case where the hatchway is of such length as to require the use of an intermediate cross-beam or support 6. This supporting beam is preferably removable and rests on the hatch-coaming through a suitable seal. The obtaining of a water-tight seal between the coaming 8 of the hatchway l, the

removable cross-beam 6 and the hatch element or 5 involves the provision of a seal between three separate elements, a problem which has already been adequately solved in the ship building art. After the hatches have been closed the hatch-elements are held firmly in position by means of the laterally-disposed securing attachments 22. I

It will be noted that the procedure for working the hatches involves opening the hatch-section 3 before the section 4. For this purpose, it is merely necessary to operate the rollers of section 3 after first having disengaged the latches 2B and pulled back the section 2. If it were desired to open the section 4 before the section 3, it would be necessary to pull the secensuing claim.

What we claim is: In combination with a deck structure having a hatch opening and a coaming surrounding the opening, a hatch cover construction comprising a plurality of rectangular cover elements arranged in two series, overlying the hatch opening, each series comprising two cover elements which are disposed in side by side relation and are hinged at their adjoining side edges for movement from a closed position in coplanar side by side abutting relation to an open position one on top of the other, one of the cover elements of each series having its other side edge disposed adjacent one side of the hatch opening, arms upstanding from the coaming at each side of the hatch opening and disposed in' vertical planes, means carried by the other side edge oi each of said cover elements pivotally.

attached to said arms so that the said cover elements of each series are movable from,

a closed horizontal position inboard of the hatch opening to an open horizontal position outboard roller means carried by the second cover element of each series, guide of the hatch opening,

means for said roller means disposed transversely of the cover elements and including horizontal center sections, horizontal end portions which lie in a parallel plane above the center sections and inclined sections joining said center sections and end portions,jsaid rollers means moving on the guide means to raise the said second cover elements of each series above the first cover elements as the first cover elements swing 180 from a position inboard of the hatch opening to a position outboard of the hatch opening and carry the second cover elements of each series which swing 180 and are raised by the cooperating roller means and guide means to rest on top of the first cover elements and supporting means carried by the coaming for supporting the cover elements of each series in horizontal platform defining positions projecting laterally from the hatch opening and completely outboard thereof.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Number Name Date MacGregor July 1, 1930 Hay Sept. 16, 1941 Deegan Oct. 19, 1943 Campbell July 3, 1945 Groppell Oct. 11, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Great Britain Sept. 17, 1925 Great Britain Apr. 14, 1932 Great Britain Apr. 26, 1934 Great Britain Aug. 6, 1935 Great Britain May 14, 1937 Great Britain July 22, 1938 Great Britain Aug. 26, 1948 

